The Maharashtra government has clarified that members of the state’s seven notified minority communities are not issued individual minority certificates and instructed minority educational institutions to stop asking students to produce such documents during admissions.
In a circular issued on Thursday, the Minority Development Department said several institutions had been insisting on individual minority certificates from students applying for admission to the 2026-27 academic session, despite there being no provision for issuing such certificates.
The government made it clear that students should not be denied admission for failing to submit an individual minority certificate.
Maharashtra currently recognises Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Zoroastrians (Parsis), Jains and Jews as notified minority communities.
To establish a student’s minority status, institutions have been asked to rely on other valid documents, including school leaving certificates indicating religion or mother tongue, baptism certificates, religious initiation (diksha) certificates, certificates issued by recognised minority organisations, or affidavits from parents declaring the student’s religion or mother tongue, wherever applicable.
The department emphasised that the absence of an individual minority certificate cannot be treated as grounds to reject a student’s admission.
The circular also directed all state departments to improve awareness and implementation of welfare schemes meant for the seven notified minority communities. It noted that limited awareness among beneficiaries and implementing agencies has affected the reach of both Central and state government schemes.
Departments have been instructed to publicise the recognised minority status of these communities and ensure that eligible people receive the benefits available under various welfare programmes.
👉 Click here to read the latest Gujarat news on TheLiveAhmedabad.com